Shaft-packing.



No. 807,981. PATENTED DEC. 19, 1905 R. WHITAKER.

SHAFT PACKING.

APPLICATION FILED 13110.2, 1904.

Ill

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD \VHITAKER, OF NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF TWOTHIRDSTO ROBERT IV. JOHNSON AND JAMES W. JOHNSON, OF

NEW BRUNSWICK. NEW JERSEY.

SHAFT-PACKING.

Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed December 2, 1904. Serial No- 235,210.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD WHITAKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Brunswick, county of Middlesex, State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shaft Packing, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The object I have in view is the production of a packing for shafts tobe used in lieu of a stufiing-box for certain types of mechanism inwhich a rotary or oscillating shaft extends through the walls of achamber in which liquids or gases are confined under pressure and whichwill prevent leakage and may be readily inspected and the parts removed.

Another object is the production of a packing which will make a joint ofperfect tightness irrespective of the pressure to which it is subjectedand which may be used to prevent leakage in the opposite direction-as,for instance, in a pump Working against a vacuum.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional view of a pump embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a portion thereof. Fig. 3 isa sectional view of a modification, and Fig. 4 is still anothermodification.

In all the views like parts are designated by the same referencecharacters.

The invention comprises a collar on the shaft, such collar being forcedupon its seat by means of the confined liquid or gases, the sh aft beingcapable of longitudinal movement to permit automatic adjustment.

The invention maybe applied to any mechanism employing a rotary oroscillating shaft, such as pumps or reciprocating or rotary engines orturbines but I show it in con.- nection with a gas-pump to be used in arefrigerating apparatus of the compression type.

In carrying out my invention I provide a drivin -shaft 1. As shown inFig. 1, this shaft 1s provided with power-absorbing or movement-imparting me ansin this instance the driving-pulley 2-and an eccentric3,0011- stituting amoving member to which the operating parts of thepump are connected. In stead of an eccentric it is obvious that cranksmay be substituted, and instead of a pump being used it is equallyobvious that the impro vements may be applied to an engine.

The casing 4 isprovided with bearings 5 and 6 for the moving member 3.The shaft 1 is connected with the member so as to rotate therewith andby means of a keyway and key 7 or equivalent device may have somelongitudinal play.

The shaft 1 is provided with a collar 8, which may be integral, as shownin Fig. 1, or separate, as shown in Fi 4 but if made separate it istightly secured to the shaft, so that there will be no leakage betweenthe two. This collar is located within a chamber 9 of larger diameterthan the bearing 10 for the shaft 1, an offset or shoulder 1] connectingthe two. This shoulder serves as a support for a washer 12, which ispreferably made of softer material than the collar 8, hard fiber beingpreferred. The washer may be omitted, if desired, in which case theshoulder may be made of softer metal than the collar; but this is notessential. The shoulder alone or the shoulder and washer, when both areemployed, constitute a seat against which the collar abuts. The portionsof the bearing 10 adjacent tothe shoulder 1 1 are enlarged at 13, so asto form a chamber for lubricant, which may be supplied from the oil-cup14. The chamber '9 communicates with the interior of the casing eitherby leakage through the bearing 6 or through a port 15, formed for thispurpose. In operation the pressure from the interior of the casing willbe communicated to the chamber 9 and will force the collar 8, and withit the shaft 1, longitudinally within its bearings, causing the collarto engage with the washer 12 with a degree of pressure depending uponthe pressure within the casing, but in all cases sufficient to preventleakage between the shoulder and collar. It is obvious that the greaterthe pressure within the casing the closer will the collarbe forced uponits seat, so that the joint will at all times be tight. The only jointwill be between the bearing-face of the collar and the seat. As afurther preventive of leakage and a means of reducing friction thebearing-face of the collar 8 is provided with numerous concentricgrooves 16, which grooves preferably hav sharp angular faces, as shownin Fig. 2. These grooves are engaged with the washer 12 and reduce theextent of surface which would otherwise cause friction. They alsoprovide a series of annular concentric chambers which when the packingis employed in connection with a pump for compressing ammonia will serveas condensing-chambers in the event of any ammonia-gas leaking from onechamber to the 5 other and will thereby serve as a liquid seal. In orderto engage the collar with its bearing when the pressure within thecasing 4 is insufiicientas an example, when pumping against a vacuumaspring 17 may be employed for moving the shaft longitudinally.

In Fig. 2 this spring is shown as located between the pulley 2 and aring 18, surrounding the shaft 1, and engaging with the bearing 10 bymeans of awasher 19. In Fig. 3 the spring is located between the collarand the moving member 3. It is to be understood that the spring is notessential, as the packing will be tight under all circumstances withoutthe spring, provided the pressure within the casing is sufficient toforce the col lar into close engagement with its seat.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the bearing 10 is extended so as to avoid the necessityof an additional bearing, as would be required in the structure shown inFig. 3.

ture the bearing 10 is formed within a plate 20, secured to the casing 4by means of bolts 21, which permits ready inspection and separation ofthe parts.

In Fig. 4 the bearing-surfaces of the collar 8 are inclined at 22, thewasher 11 being correspondingly shaped.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Pat- 3 5 ent, is

1. In a packing for rotary shafts, the com bination with a member havinga seat, of a shaft with a collar engaging with the seat, the shaft beingcapable of longitudinal movement to engage the collar with the seat, thebearing-face of the collar having sharp-faced grooves.

2. In a packing for rotary shafts, the com bination with a member havinga seat, of a shaft with a collar engaging with the seat,

the shaft being capable of longitudinal movement to engage the collarwith the seat, the bearing-face of the collar being concentricallygrooved.

' 3. In a packing for rotary shafts, the com bination with a memberhaving a seat, of a shaft with a collar engaging with the seat, theshaft being capable of longitudinal move ment to engage the collar withthe seat, the 5 5 bearing-face of the collar havin sharp-faced groovesconcentrically arranged.

4. The combination with a casing, a moving member therein, a shaftconnected there- In this latter strucmeans to allow of longitudinalmovement, a-

collar upon the shaft, a seat upon the casing, the bearing-face of thecollar being concentrically grooved, and a spring outside of the casingfor forcing the collar against the seat.

6. In a packing for rotary shafts, the com bination with a member havinga shoulder, of a shaft with a collar engaging with the shoulder, theshaft being capable of longitudinal movement to engage the collar withthe shoulder, the face of the collar being grooved, and a washer of softmaterial between the collar and the shoulder, the said washer beingcapable of being forced partially into the grooves in the shoulder.

7. In a packing for rotary shafts, the com bination with a member havinga shoulder, of a shaft with a collar engaging with the shoulder, theshaft being capable of longitudinal movement to engage the collar withthe shoulder, the face of the collar having sharpfaced grooves, and awasher of soft material between the collar and the shoulder, the saidwash er being capable of beingforced partially into the grooves in theshoulder.

8. In a packing for rotary shafts, the com bination with a member havinga shoulder, of a shaft with a collar engaging with the shoulder, theshaft being capable of longitudinal movement to engage the collar withthe shoulder, the face of the collar having concentric grooves, and awasher of soft material between the collar and the shoulder.

9. In a packing for rotary shafts, the combination with a member havinga shoulder, of a shaft with a collar engaging with the shoulder, theshaft being capable of longitudinal movement to engage the collarwiththe shoulder, the face of the said collar having sharpfaced concentricgrooves.

This specification signed and witnessed this 28th day of November, 1904.

RICHARD I/VHITAKER.

Witnesses:

Enw. P. FowLE, GEO. F. McCoRuicK.

IOC

